Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Coverage
Preamble
The author will be here shortly to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator informs us.
Final Moments
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the short race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
